I made this today for a hot and healthy lunch. We really liked it. I didn't have fresh sage or thyme so I subbed the dried herbs. I also probably had about 4 T of bacon instead of the the 2 that the recipe calls for because I only had 3 strips left in the freezer and wanted to use it all up. It smelled really good while it was cooking and made for a nice comforting meal. Nothing fancy but we enjoyed this and I would definitely make it again.

Hearty Minestrone with Barley, Sage, and Beans
From

Chill the bacon to make it easier to chop finely. For a special treat, top each serving with one tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

That sounds very comforting! With the cold that I have, I wish I had some right now!

zackaboo

01-02-2007, 05:49 PM

That sounds very comforting! With the cold that I have, I wish I had some right now!

If you were just a little closer...:) Hope you feel better soon!

Peggy

01-12-2007, 08:50 AM

We had this earlier in the week and have been having the leftovers for lunch since. It was filling and satisfying but I felt it was missing something flavorwise. I'm not sure what I was looking for - perhaps more seasoning of some kind. I used the fresh sage and thyme and substituted regular cabbage for the Savoy. A good, solid soup recipe; just not a "WOW" in my book.

Peggy

cookin_healthy

01-27-2007, 06:48 PM

I've made this soup three times now, at DH's request. Very comforting flavor and very filling, I think. It will be a regular at my house. We both think the flavor is excellent. I did use the fresh herbs, I used regular cabbage , chick peas, and I have also been using ww spaghetti noodles instead of the barley.

Beth H

01-29-2007, 07:28 AM

I made this last night and loved it. I used good applewood smoked bacon which imparted a wonderful flavor to the soup. Just hearty and comforting. I definitely will make this again.